Social adjustment and attitude to aging as mediators linking social participation to depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the sequential mediating roles of social adjustment and attitude to aging in the relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms among older adults in China. Utilizing cross-sectional data from the 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS, N = 5719), we conducted cross-sectional analyses using structural equation modeling and stepwise regression. Higher social participation was directly associated with lower depressive symptoms ( β = − 0.017, p < 0.05). non-volunteering activities (e.g., senior education, group exercises) demonstrated stronger direct effects ( β = − 0.102, p < 0.001) than voluntary activities ( β = − 0.063, p < 0.001). Social adjustment and positive attitude to aging sequentially mediated this relationship: social participation improved social adjustment ( β = 0.069, p < 0.001), which enhanced attitude to aging ( β = 0.170, p < 0.001), ultimately reducing depression risk (chain effect = − 0.002, 95% CI [− 0.004, − 0.001]). non-voluntary participation uniquely activated this pathway, explaining 9.8% of the variance. Social participation alleviates depressive symptoms both directly and through a sequential pathway involving social adjustment and positive attitude to aging. Policy interventions should prioritize structured, community-based activities to enhance psychosocial adjustment and mitigate age-related stigma, particularly among vulnerable older populations.

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